Gravity discharge-gate for separating apparatus.



GRAVITY DISCHARGE GATE FOR SEPARATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED'JULY f2, [SIG- 191 %& Patented J an. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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C. E. CHRIST.

GRAVITY DISCHARGE GATE FOR SEPARATING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED JULY I2, 1916.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917 2 SHEETSSHEET Z- ms mums Farms 00.. mam: mm. msnmmzm. n, c.

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Application fiia July 12, 1916. Serial No. 108,894.

To azz'wha'miz'may 5055067 5.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E.; C1 -IRIsT,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Tamaqua, in the, county of Schuylkill; and State of Pennsylvania,have-invented certain new and useful Improvements; in Gravity Discharge-Gates for Separating Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescriptionof thein vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same. i

The present invention relates to improvements in gravity discharge gates for separating apparatus, and more particularly resides in providing an improved counterbalance mechanism for such gates which will include a main weight, arranged'to be shifted to obtain wide variationsof adjustment, and an auxiliary or supplemental Weight admitting of quick shifting whi'le th e machine is in operation to yield nicer adjustments. '7

The improved counterbalance has been in practical use for some months past, and has been found to yield excellent results on jigs for coal and ore separation. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, a'ndin which similar reference symbols indicate correspond ing parts in the several views Figure 1 is a top plan view of animproved separating apparatus as constructed in accordance with the present inventi'on;and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof with parts shown in elevation.

Referring more particularly to thedrawings, 1 designates a tank or vat having a sloping bottom 2, in which is suspended, by any suitable mechanism, (not shown) a jig 3. An inclined perforated bottom 4 is provided for the" jig 3, and 'at'th'e lower end of such bottom 4 is a perforated gravity .dis. charge gate 5. At one longitudinal edge, this gate 5 is formed with a bead 6, round in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, to hinge with the adjacent end of the bottom 4, and having projecting journals 7 and 8 as indicated in Fig. 1; such journals being received in bearings 9 and 10 supported from metallic hangers 11, Which may be secured to the sides of the jig 3, as by rivets 12, or other suitable securing means.

The gate 5 and bead 6 are advantageously produced with reinforcing ribs 13 and 14; and guides or wear plates 15, of the shape preferably as disclosed in Fig. 2, are located at each side .of. the gate 5, they beinglsuspended from. metallic straps 16, riveted or otherwise secured toithejig. sides. 1 Projectingfrom the free end of the discharge gate 5 are perforated earsc l7, through which the counterbalance. mechanism is operatively connected thereto. Links 18 connect the perforated ears 17,0n the discharge gate 5 With stub arms 19,. fixed to the ends of a rock shaft 20. The bearings 21 and 22 furnish a support for the rock shaft 20, such bearings beingprovided on uprights 23, secured,.by rivets or other. means 24,.to the sides of the jig 3, and. projecting. thereabove, as will be apparent from the drawings.

,Fittedoverthe rock shaft 20 and keyed, preferably centrally thereof, is a block or head 25. There is an opening 26through one wall of said block 25,. and at the base of the opening 26 is a wedge 27. An arm 28 is received at one end into the head 25 through the opening 26, such end being split or. divided in such Wise that, when driven against the wedge 27 thedivided end will spread, as at .29 and 30, and occupy branch recesses provided therefor in the head .25; all as will clearlyappear from an inspection of Fig. 2. On the outer end of the arm 28 is a main counter-balance weight 31, arranged for adjustment through a set screw 32. By loosening the set screw 32 the main weight 31 may be shifted to a variety of positions on the arm 28, where it will exert different counterbalancing effects on the discharge gate 5,

and through this means adj ustment through,

wideranges may be roughly obtained.

In order to achieve a more sensitive and nicer adjustment, provide, in conjunction with the main counterbalance weight 31, an auxiliary or supplemental counterbalance, which may be adjusted during the operation of the machine. This secondary counterbalance consists in a weight 33, slidably mounted over the arm 28, and having a recess therein for receiving a nut 34. To either side of the recess, wherein the nut 34 is received, the walls of the weight 33 are perforated to admit a rod 35. This rod 35 has threaded engagement with the nut 34, and is journaled to rotate in the head 25; it being actuated from a hand wheel 36, or through other means adaptable for the purpose. A nut or collar 37 is fitted over the rod 35 andagainst the block 25, in order to prevent axial movement. In the upper part of the block 25, there may be a threaded socket for removably receiving a handle 38, through which the gate 5 may be swung when desired. An apron 39 is connected to the jig 3 for carrying off the coal, or other material of lighter specific gravity; while elevators 40, which extend into the lower end of the vat 1, are provided to convey oif the heavier foreign separated matter discharged through the gate 5.

The operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows: The coal or ore, or other material from which the impurities are to be separated, is delivered to the jig 3 in a well known manner and by well known apparatus; and the jig thereupon reciprocated after the usual manner. As this operation is proceeded with, it will be understood that the coal or lighter particles of the material to be separated, will rise in the jig 3, and when attaining the necessary height will pass over the lower end wall of said jig and onto the apron 39, whereby such' material will be delivered to a proper depository. The heavier matters and impurities will, by virtue of their greater specific grav will be diverted toward the gate 5. When such heavier matters accumulate in suffi cient quantity above the gate 5 to overcome the action of the counterbalance mechanism; such gate will automatically swing open about the trunnions 7 and 8 and discharge the accumulated matter into the vat 1, where it will fall on the sloping bottom 2 and be directed to the elevators 4:0. The elevators 40 will convey the matter to the proper destination. For different characters of coal, ore, or other material, it becomes desirable for securing the best results to change the amount of the weight which will be effective to open the gate 5. This may be (ll01l6 in a rough way by shifting the main weight 31 on the arm 28', However, this sort of adjustment has been found cumbersome and ineffective to yield that nicety and sensitiveness of adjustment which is necessary to secure the best results. Moreover, the shifting of the weight 31 entails stopping the apparatus while the adjustment is being effected.

By use of the supplemental weight 33, the

I perform ity, seek the bottom of the jig 3, where theyi above objections are avoided. By simply rotating the hand wheel 36, through the threaded rod 35 and nut 34:, such supplemental weight 33 may be moved to change its position on the arm 28 without suspending the operation of the apparatus, the arrangement giving a micrometer adjustment.

Throughout the practical use of the invention the device has proven to be easily and readily adjusted, and highly effective.

Although I have described above the arm 28 as being driven into the head 25, it is obviously practicable, from the construction shown, to initially upset the ends 29 and iii) of said'arm, and to subsequently cast the head 25 thereabout. It will also readily sug gest itself to those skilled in this art, to dispcnse, if desired or found necessary, with the main counterbalance weight 31 and provide the supplemental weight 33 of a size to the counterbalancing function alone; in which case the screw adjustment 'will be retained.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and armgements of parts without departing from ,the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

3 l. A counterbalance structure for jig gates comprising a rock shaft, connections between said gate and shaft, a head on said shaft, an arm having a divided spread end fitted in said head, a counterbalance weight slidable on said arm, and a. threaded rod journaled in said head and passing through said weight for adjusting the latter, substantially as described.

2. A counterbalance structure for jig gates comprising a rock shaft, connections between said gate and shaft, a head on said shaft, an arm connected to said head, a counterbalance weight slidable on said arm. and a threaded rod journaled in said h and and passing through said weight for adjusting the latter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I atliX my signature.

CHARLES E. CHRIST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

4 Washington, D. G. 

